Calibrated Threats: Europe

In this piece, I argue that those European states most directly threatened by Russia must enhance their military capabilities.

Protecting Poland Should Be a Priority

In my Sunday column at American Greatness, I argue that the United States must move closer to Poland, in order to deter Russia while assiduously working to make the mother-of-all geopolitical deals with Moscow to avoid an actual war and end this silly Cold War 2.0.

Holding Turkey Accountable

“Turkey has made its intentions clear: it is not a Western ally. Ankara does not seek to be a Western partner. If the West continues treating Turkey as though it were simply a wayward child rather than a rival, the West will continue to be undermined and embarrassed from within.”

NATO Must Pay

“Thus, NATO’s post-Cold War mission is confusing and pointless. Moreover, support for NATO from its own members is pathetic. And, Europe’s behavior toward the United States regarding Washington’s disproportionate support for NATO is both unfair and unethical. This is especially true, when NATO’s own policies are creating the very threats it claims to be defending against!”

Putin Needs a Deal With Trump

“Putin’s hand is remarkably weak—and he knows it. Ultimately, Putin needs a deal more than Trump does, though there is no denying that a deal will be good for the United States, too. Whatever bluster Putin may exhibit in public, if Trump grants Putin the simple kindness that international law insists all world leaders be granted by fellow world leaders—legitimacy—then the Russo-American relationship will stabilize.”

America Became a Battlefield in the Russo-Ukraine War in 2016

“It’s time to face the fact that the United States has become the battleground for a ridiculous proxy war between two cousins, Ukraine and Russia. It’s no different than how the United States was the victim of an internal blood feud within Islam on September 11, 2001.”

God Save Us From Our Allies

“America’s allies must do what they can, when they can, against whomever they perceive as a threat. The United States will always have their backs; we will gladly provide intelligence and logistical support to these states.”

Trump Gives Merkel Some Tough Love

“Going back to the 1990s, French and German policymakers have sought to create a world where there were many powers to rein in America’s perceived ‘hyperpuissance.’ Well, they have may have finally succeeded in crafting that multipolar world.”

No, Germany is Not Our Friend

“All in all, President Trump was completely correct to call out Germany. At the same time that Angela Merkel “leads” the “free world” in a rhetorical crusade against Russia for “hacking” elections everywhere (read, giving that hooligan Donald Trump the Oval Office–which, by the way, Putin did not do that), her government and country sidles up even closer to Moscow. If they can do business with and have peaceful relations with Russia, why can’t we (and the rest of the world)? At the same time that Frau Merkel insists on bashing America’s “weak” response to Russia, it is the United States, Great Britain, and the Baltic states that disproportionately fund NATO. Even as Merkel insists upon greater, more open trade, her government engages in the exact same kind of anti-free trade actions that Trump espouses.”

Here’s How We Protect Russia’s Next Target

The best path forward, therefore, is diplomacy, stronger trade relations, and a hardened military defense of Eastern “Europe that placed indigenous militaries at the forefront and kept American forces over-the-horizon.”